Well, in a way, the Voyager/early-DS9 uniforms were from TNG, since the red ones showed up in TNG's season 5 when the Enterprise returned to Earth and Wesley Crusher and Alpha Squad (and the rest of the Academy cadets) were shown with the red shoulders and black shirt/pants (and in some cases the pants were the cargo type).

Well, in a way, the Voyager/early-DS9 uniforms were from TNG, since the red ones showed up in TNG's season 5 when the Enterprise returned to Earth and Wesley Crusher and Alpha Squad (and the rest of the Academy cadets) were shown with the red shoulders and black shirt/pants (and in some cases the pants were the cargo type).

...Perhaps we're seeing evidence that there exists no such thing as a cadet uniform, and that cadets just tend to wear the "Class B" of the day more often than the "Class A"?

(Or, to tone that down a bit, there might exist a cadet uniform, with grey as the predominant color, and Wesley would wear it during his Acting Ensign year; Nog would wear it when first entering the Academy; and the fake Finnegan would be wearing it, too. But it's something the cadets only wear for their first few months into the training, or perhaps in situations calling for a dress uniform - which is why it wasn't worn by Wesley or Locarno in the big trial where Picard and the rest didn't wear dress uniforms, either.)

That would explain Cadet Picard in the jumpsuit in the ST:NEM photograph, allow for many of our STXI heroes to be commissioned officers rather than cadets in the 2258 scenes, and in general excuse quite a few costuming ambiguities.

I once read a British Army Officer during the 2nd World War had to order a retreat from a town they had been holding for days and shaved just before doing so, as if your going to have to retreat your going to do it with dignity.

Click to expand...

Could just be practical as that officer taking his last chance for a hot shower and shave for awhile if he's retreating out to the wilderness.

Click to expand...

Possibly although the story as I remember it was he shaved during the retreat itself which was in no way a planned withdraw and instead during battle (he may have also been injured, I must try and find an online account for the tale).

The English in the 19th century were insane. They knew for a certainty what civilization was and they refused to adapt as they went to the worst environments in the world, still dressed for an English winter.

What about the costume the fake Bolian Starfleet cadet wore in Next Gen's "Allegiance"? I rewatched that awhile ago and thought, "Huh, a Voyager uniform"

Click to expand...

It's a cadet uniform. Wesley wore a similar one in the first duty. Think Allegiance is the first time we saw it though.

Click to expand...

And that uniform is not, despite appearances, the same as the DS9/Voyager uniform. The Allegiance uniform leaves no room for an undershirt, for example. And the 'First Duty' cadet uniform is different from all of these.

In the age of replicators you would think it wouldn't be difficult for everyone to have exact uniforms as currently required for their station and rank.

Maybe Starfleet is just kind of chilled out about it.. mankind has evolved past the need for petty and rigid dress requirements. Someone up top decided one day, hey lets give people choices, mix it up a bit, keep 'em happy.

And that uniform is not, despite appearances, the same as the DS9/Voyager uniform. The Allegiance uniform leaves no room for an undershirt, for example. And the 'First Duty' cadet uniform is different from all of these.

Click to expand...

"No room for an undershirt" as in... she didn't lower her zip a few inches like the Voyager crew do?